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Iver Johnson NFA ?

Prior to 1934 Gun Control Act there were shotgun pistols on the market. They were
made by H&R, Stevens and several other lesser known companies. I have been trying
to find a picture and the model name for the ones IJ made. I have found everything
but,and have some parts that I think are IJ from one of these guns. I don't have the
action and am guessing it is IJ by comparing checkering to guns of that period. Anyone
fimilar with these guns?

Ithaca referred to their version of this style of shotgun as the Ithaca Auto & Burglar Gun. I am certain that other manufacturers most likely offered a similar design, but cannot find any references other than Ithaca's product.

Prior to 1934 Gun Control Act there were shotgun pistols on the market. They were
made by H&R, Stevens and several other lesser known companies. I have been trying
to find a picture and the model name for the ones IJ made. I have found everything
but,and have some parts that I think are IJ from one of these guns. I don't have the
action and am guessing it is IJ by comparing checkering to guns of that period. Anyone
fimilar with these guns?

I believe Ithaca marketed the "Auto and Burglary" which was essentially a pistol gripped double barrel pistol in .410 or 20ga. H&R had the Handy Gun, Marbles the Game Getter. I'm not aware of a pre-1934 factory short barrel from Stevens, but I've seen variants done after the fact or after 1934.

This entire discussion brigs me back to a line of thoughts I had been trying to resolve for a while. GCA '34 declared the firearms described in this thread as NFA regulated properties. Yet today we have revolver, derringers and single shot pistols that are manufactured to fire shotgun shells. This seems contradictory to the older laws and I can't make sense of it. This is just one more example of my not knowing enough about all the various laws and their applications. There is always more to learn, and I"m listening.

This entire discussion brigs me back to a line of thoughts I had been trying to resolve for a while. GCA '34 declared the firearms described in this thread as NFA regulated properties. Yet today we have revolver, derringers and single shot pistols that are manufactured to fire shotgun shells. This seems contradictory to the older laws and I can't make sense of it. This is just one more example of my not knowing enough about all the various laws and their applications. There is always more to learn, and I"m listening.

The difference is in the way the law is written, vs intent.

The guns this thread are about are smoothbore pistols, the modern versions you mentioned are pistols with rifled barrel, but have chambers extended to accept shotshells.

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I thought it was the GCA of 1968 that controlled these type of firearms .
A smooth bore shotgun must have a barrel length of 18".
A rifle must have a barrel of 16".
A rifle is intended to be shouldered and held by the forearm..
A pistol can not have a "functional" forearm.
Pistols that fire shot shells have rifled barrels and chambered for Centerfire cartridges that are close to the .410 shotshell. As long as the barrel is rifled it is a pistol.
The firearms you are talking about are smoothbores.
Exceptions to the above were mostly grandfathered in and controlled by the atf.

My parents owned a small neighborhood grocery store during the big depression of 1929. Money was tight for everyone & they had been selling on credit but people were unable to pay. Somehow they took in a J. Stevens .410 pistol in settlement of a high grocery bill. As best I can remember the bbl. was 8-10".
& the bbl. tilting mechanism was activated by a brass looking button on the right side (about 1/4" dia.). If I'm not mistaken the chamber area of the bbl. was octagon shaped.

Apparently the firing pin was not original, because it would rupture the primer & cause the action to open occasionally. I inherited the gun & a friend attempted to correct the firing pin problem & to make a long story short he did permanent damage to the hammer pivot pin & silver soldered it in place.

I traded it for a shotgun in '70. I wish I had it now.......I do most of my own gunsmithing now.

J. Stevens Arms Co. Chicopee Falls, Mass. was stamped on the top flat of the bbl..